Finance minister T M Thomas Isaac backs Sitaram Yechury on working with Congress

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury’s line for an understanding with Congress as part of rallying secular and democratic forces against the Sangh Pari-var got a fillip with finance minister T.M. Thomas Isaac favouring it at the party central committee (CC) in New Delhi on Saturday. Dr Isaac said the situation in Bengal must be factored in while formulating the tactical line. With Mr Yechury standing by his tactical line for a broader platform of secular forces at the three-day CC, many members took a positive view.

However, Mr Prakash Karat’s stated position against any tie-up with the Congress, even cooperation, had its own adherents, including Dr Isaac’s colleagues from Kerala. With sharp fissures emerging within the CC, the next two days will witness heated deliberations. Sources said Mr Yechury’s line has been gaining acceptability among more members. Even Tamil Nadu, Andhra and Telangana, which had backed the Karat line, indicate a switch.

While West Bengal state unit is maintaining its previous position of having a tie-up with the Congress, comrades from Punjab, Haryana, Orissa and Bihar are in favour of broader cooperation of all democratic and secular forces. One of the factors prompting them to keep the Congress option open is BJP-RSS’s nationwide offensive against the CPM in the name of violence in Kerala. Not just Kerala, the Sangh Parivar has targeted CPM in all other states. Many comrades believe that while the Kerala unit is strong to counter the attack, in smaller states the party will need the support of all democratic and secular forces to fight the threat of Sangh Parivar.

Those supporting Yechury line also point out that the political situation in the country had undergone drastic change since Narendra Modi Government came to power. The situation has worsened since the last party Congress in Visakhapatnam. They say Sangh Parivar is out to destroy the secular fabric of the country and all democratic institutions. Under these circumstances, the political tactical line adopted in Visakhapatnam needs to be altered in consonance with the current political situation in the country.

However, the counter argument being placed by Karat supporters is that wherever the party had gone in for an understanding with the Congress, it was at the cost of the organization. They say the party was decimated in Bengal because of this position. Bengal comrades reject the view saying that the tie-up with Congress is not the lone factor. The party has come under severe attack from Trinamool Congress and BJP.

Meanwhile, in an interview to a regional channel the CPM general secretary has indirectly hinted that the issue of tie-up with Congress is open. He said the last politburo meeting had identified that the main task was to fight the Narendra Modi Government and its policies both politically and in all spheres. That task remains. He said discussions will go to the 22nd party congress in Hyderabad next year. It will determine the political line of the party for the coming three years. Ahead of the congress, the CC will finalize the political line.

The final authority is the CC and only it can propose the political line to the Congress. Though the majority in politburo had decided against any understanding with the Congress, Mr Yechury stuck to the alternative view, that a broader understanding with secular and democratic parties was the need of the hour to fight the fascist policies of the Narendra Modi Government and RSS. The proposal on the political line will be finalised at the central committee meeting to be held in January 2018.